Emma Maudsley's Eczema story
Read these other fellow eczema sufferers stories
I'm 28 and have had eczema since I was a baby. My mum went to get me out of my cot one day and I was covered in blood from scratching. Bit of a shock I think!
Through primary school I mainly had it at the back of my knees, inside my elbows, behind my ears. Although it was itchy it didn't really bother me. I was more concerned with controlling my allergies to nuts and animals!!! Then when the hormones kicked in at secondary school it seemed to move up a gear. I developed patches on my face and my scalp. It looked like I had really bad dandruff as my scalp was permanently shedding dry skin. Which on a dark blue school jumper looked great!! Luckily (I think) I went to an all girls school and didn't suffer any comments or name calling. When I was 14 it was really bad - my skin got infected and I was admitted to hospital. I had to have coal tar bandages and steroid treatments. They kept me in and I missed my best friends birthday party - funny the things you remember! I used to get really dry skin on my eyelids which I could peel off in strips. I once had a bad allergy attack where my eyes swelled up like frogs combined with bad eczema - my mum had to literally peel the skin with a damp cotton bud as I couldn't open my eyes and had to play at a concert that night. All through high school I had to have a lotion applied to my scalp to treat the skin there - I have long hair and it took my mum about an hour a night to laboriously comb through it all. Stress is a major trigger factor so exams were a nightmare but I got through them with good results.
When I went to university I had a lecture where we had to make paper. I had to put my hands in a wood pulp in order to get the sheet of goo to make into paper. From that instant I have had eczema on my fingers and back of my hands. Because of the amount of cream I have applied to them, if I tan, I get white patches where the scarring is. After uni I stayed on with the pub company full time. I moved to Manchester and if I wasn't working I was partying! I got hit bad at about 21. I had red raw skin from top to toe. it was agonising. I couldn't bear to have clothes on. But you can't go outside naked (!) so I vividly recall going round the supermarket in loose jogging bottoms and a baggy tshirt. I couldn't even put a bra on it hurt so much.. But I still went in to work. The skin on my neck was so tight I had to turn my whole body if I wanted to look round.
Despite all this I met and married my fantastic husband Nick. He will put cream on areas I can't see - it has never fazed him. I worked so hard to make sure my face and hands were in a decent condition for our wedding photos. You don't want to be putting your wedding ring on a finger that's red raw!!
People's attitude towards people with eczema can really stink. I worked in healthcare retail for a while and was serving a customer who looked at my hands, gave me a filthy look and said "is that contagious?". But at least I could give good advice to people with similar problems.
It itches, it hurts and its uncomfortable. But I don't let it rule my life. I have been to work and parties with a face that looks like its been in a car crash. I know if I can wear make up or if its only going to make it worse. I've tried every cream under the sun. Its not too bad at the moment but that doesn't mean I won't have a flare up tomorrow. My daughter shows no sign of developing it and I'm so glad. If my face is sore she goes and gets my cream for me.
